French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday afternoon at the Élysée Palace in Paris, with the latter initially and explicitly citing what he called increasing Turkish provocations and belligerence, in statements before reporters.

"We are ready for any event, even the worst possible scenario. The Greek borders on land, air and sea are effectively protected thanks to the impenetrable wall erected by our Armed Forces and Security Forces," Deputy National Defence Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Tuesday in an interview with the newspaper "Karfitsa".

Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias said Greece "rejects [Turkey's] neo-Ottoman bravado," in joint statements with his visiting French counterpart Catherine Colonna in Athens on Tuesday.